A support class from Chatswood High School recently visited Royal North Shore Hospital as part of a valuable Life Skills Program.

The class was made up of 11 students from years 10-12 who participate in a Life Skills Program. The program provides options for students with a disability. 

The curriculum is project-based learning encompassing a range of the topics and children are encouraged to be independent and acquire skills they need after leaving school. 

The topic for the students this term was based on learning about their health and the visit aimed to help alleviate any fears or preconceived ideas the students may have had about a hospital.

During their visit the students toured the emergency department and met with a range of nursing and medical staff. The students wrote questions at school prior to their arrival for clinicians at the hospital to answer during their visit. 

The hospital therapy dog Vinnie also visited the students. Before they met with some NSW Ambulance staff members and were able to experience sitting on an ambulance stretcher and entered the vehicle which helped to alleviate any fears. 

They were also taken on a tour to see what happens behind the scenes of the hospital. They visited the linen store, kitchen and loading dock. The last stop was the Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC) which houses all of the hospital’s outpatient clinics. 

The students also received t-shirts to take home from the NSLHD Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service. 

RNSH ED Clinical Nurse Consultant Alison Partyka said the staff were grateful to have the students come and visit.

“The RNSH staff had a lovely morning, and we felt the students did too,” she said.